Summary:
- Luffy and Blackbeard’s rivalry runs too deep for any alliance to make sense.
- Their opposing ideals of freedom ensure they’ll always be enemies, not allies.
- Here’s why Luffy and Blackbeard can never work together as a team.

With the recent events in Elbaf, which hinted at Imu’s ultimate goal, some fans believe Luffy and Blackbeard might actually team up and take on Imu. But if you dig deeper into their shared past, you’ll know that’s highly unlikely.
Their ideologies go beyond revenge and hatred. Both represent two sides of the same coin. While Luffy seeks freedom, Blackbeard aims to conquer the world. Their story is all about rivalry. Let’s have a look at why Luffy and Blackbeard could never work together.
Why Luffy Teaming Up With Blackbeard Makes No Sense

The idea of Luffy ever teaming up with Blackbeard against Imu isn’t unlikely; it’s impossible. From the moment Blackbeard captured Ace and handed him to the Marines, their rivalry became personal.
That single act led to Ace’s execution, Whitebeard’s death, and one of the darkest chapters in Luffy’s life. It’s not something he could ever forgive. Blackbeard didn’t just take a brother from him; he ignited the war that shaped Luffy’s entire journey.
RELATED:
- Why Now’s the Perfect Time to Read One Piece Manga Instead of Watching Anime
- Vegapunk’s Final Words: All 13 One Piece Secrets He Revealed
- Imu’s Domi Reversi Explained: How It Turns Everyone Into Demons
This isn’t just about Ace either. Blackbeard’s record of sins goes on. He killed Whitebeard, scarred Shanks, captured Garp and Koby, tormented Bonney and Pudding, destroyed the Heart Pirates, and even attacked Amazon Lily.
He represents everything Luffy hates and stands against. Where Luffy fights for freedom, friendship, and adventure, Blackbeard only chases power and control. There can be no middle ground between them, just pure conflict.
Why Would Luffy Never Team Up With Blackbeard?

What really separates Luffy and Blackbeard isn’t just history, but philosophy. Both carry the Will of D., yet their meanings couldn’t be further apart. Luffy’s will come from Joy Boy, symbolizing adventure and liberation, while Blackbeard’s traces back to Davy Jones, a being of domination and chaos. These two represent opposite definitions of freedom, destined to collide rather than cooperate.
Imu and the World Government might be the ultimate threat, but Luffy’s pride would never allow him to compromise his ideals. He has never been desperate enough to make alliances, especially not with the person who betrayed everything he stands for.
To Luffy, an alliance is friendship, something that Blackbeard will never understand. That’s why no matter how bad things get for him, joining forces with him would never even cross his mind.
RELATED:
- One Piece Chapter 1163 Finally Explains Why Roger and Garp Had to Stop Rocks at God Valley
- Forget Luffy, Blackbeard’s True Arch-Nemesis Has Always Been Shanks: Here’s Why
- Top 10 One Piece Arcs Ranked: The Ultimate List
Could Luffy and Blackbeard Ever Form a Truce Against Imu?

Some fans believe that dire times might push them into a truce against Imu. But come to think of it, Luffy couldn’t even work with Blackbeard in Impel Down. Both stormed the prison, caused chaos, and escaped, but separately.
They’ve always fought on parallel tracks, never as partners. Even now, with Imu’s powers exposed and the Gods of Knights rising, Blackbeard is pursuing his own agenda, possibly the National Treasure of Marijoa, while Luffy chases the One Piece.
At best, their confrontation with Imu might happen simultaneously, each striking from different fronts. But cooperation? Never. Their inherited wills are on a collision course. If Joy Boy’s light represents the dawn, then Davy Jones’ darkness seeks to rule that dawn. That’s what Oda seems to be leading us toward: not a partnership, but the ultimate clash of ideologies.